CAMDEN - It's a rare season when Camden's field hockey team isn't one of the top seeds in the Class B playoffs. Coming off an appearance in the state semifinals made that prospect even more unlikely in 2012,

But that's exactly where the Blue Devils were heading into Wednesday's quarterfinal game against Whitesboro, a team that started the season with five losses and two ties and was unlikely to qualify.

Camden had the edge in possession but Whitesboro rode the play of red-hot goalie Katelyn Armstrong to post a 2-1 upset of the defending Section III and regional champs.

"That's the best I've played, the best the team's played, the best the defense's played," an excited Armstrong said after her 15-save effort put Whitesboro in the semifinals for the first time in more than a decade. "We listened to each other, we talked, defense stayed on marks."

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As the game unfolded it quickly became clear that it was very likely overtime would be needed as play was back and forth from the start. The hosts denied Whitesboro's first great chance to take the lead when Emily Collins stopped Jordan Noga's penalty stroke in the eighth minute. Still, the visitors kept the pressure up and 11 minutes later took the lead when Vina Smith scored from close range.

Coach Shannon McPheron's Blue Devils knotted the game quickly, though. Three straight penalty corners led to Sidney McGowan's goal off an Amanda Relyea pass in the 21st minute and it stayed 1-1 until halftime.

Noga was not to be denied in the third minute of the second half, though. Brandi Blaszak set her up for the go-ahead goal off a corner play that Smith started. Blaszak missed her team's 3-0 road loss to Camden in the regular season and made the most of her return from an injury.

Camden (9-8) did not make the most of its corner opportunities and it haunted the hosts afterward. The Blue Devils had a 9-3 edge in corners in the second half, the best chance coming in the 50th minute as Bailee Barrett forced Armstrong to make two superb saves in a row.

McPheron's team earned one more corner, in the 57th minute, but Barrett's shot was blocked by the defense and Melissa Hanvey's shot off the rebound went wide.

"It's disappointing, but we have a very young team," McPheron said after her team missed making the semifinals for the first time in a 12-year career. "Our corners were our weakness all year."

Whitesboro (6-7-3) will play top-seeded New Hartford on Saturday in the semifinals. Coach Renee Lavalley, a player on the last Whitesboro team to do so in 2000, was as thrilled as her players afterward.

"Being an underdog this time of the year is an advantage," Lavalley said. "It's tough to beat a team three times."

Camden beat Whitesboro 4-3 in the first meeting this fall. Whitesboro will try to make it two in a row Saturday when it faces an NH team that also dealt it two losses in the regular season.